6—19 OCTOBER 2014
Principal Sponsor Welcome
Stories. Myths. Fables. Re-imaginings.
Wild landscapes. Hidden histories. Epic adventures. Strange revelations.
Imaginative writing has always been at the heart of Manchester Literature Festival and we have a wealth of wonderful writers, poets and wordsmiths lined up for you this year.
Sarah Waters, Michel Faber and David Mitchell enchant us with their long-awaited new novels. Sebastian Barry, Colm Tóibín, Margaret Drabble, Esther Freud, Martin Amis, Will Self and Howard Jacobson give us an insight into their masterful stories. Actor Sheila Hancock discusses her generation-spanning debut novel whilst Ben Watt talks about his excellent new memoir.
Peter Blake, Godfather of Pop Art, pays homage to Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood, and we explore the legacy of literary icons from Edgar Allan Poe and Anton Chekhov to John Updike, Ernest Hemingway and William S. Burroughs. Daljit Nagra and Patience Agbabi reinterpret The Ramayana and Canterbury Tales for a modern, multi-cultural audience and Kate Tempest performs some of her brilliant, multi-voiced poems.
Pascale Petit, Andres Neuman, Roma Tearne, Hong Ying and Arne Dahl take us on journeys around the world whilst Simon Garfield and Shaun Usher remind us of the magic of letters. Audrey Niffenegger gives our fifth Manchester Sermon and Jackie Kay collaborates with jazz musician Adam Fairhall on a tribute to blues legend Bessie Smith. We’re also thrilled to showcase new commissions from Olivia Laing, Kamila Shamsie and Manchester Camerata with Bill Ryder-Jones.
If you love imaginative writing as much as we do, we hope you’ll consider joining our new Get Closer Membership scheme (see Page 63).
Listen to the stories. Enjoy the Festival.
Sarah-Jane Roberts & Jon Atkin Acting Co-Directors
2 Foreword
As HSBC’s premium banking and wealth service, we are delighted to be continuing our support of literature across the UK with our sponsorship of Manchester Literature Festival.
By bringing people together from around the world and providing a platform for the exchange of views and ideas, the festival reflects our aims of using literature as a way of opening up opportunities, making connections and stimulating debate across borders.
The Festival’s dynamic growth is testament to its engaging and inspirational programming, which this year includes a series of World Literature events celebrating writers and thinkers from across the globe. The Festival’s international strand reflects HSBC’s commitment to encouraging the exchange of ideas across different cultures as a way of strengthening international relationships.
We look forward to welcoming these guests to Manchester in October, along with the thousands of visitors who will join us for 2 weeks of inspiring talks, readings and performances.
Antonio Simoes Chief Executive Officer, UK, HSBC Bank Plc
Principal Sponsor
3 Programme Notes
This year’s Manchester Literature Festival offers a bigger and more eclectic programme than ever before, with 80 events to choose from. To help you navigate our busy schedule, we’ve badged events under several themed categories:
Main Event Encounter some of your literary heroes in prestigious and unusual settings across the city and beyond.
New Commission Experience world premieres of new work created especially for the Festival. This includes our annual Manchester Sermon, a writer in residency post at the Midland hotel, new work inspired by a landmark art exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery and exciting collaborations with Manchester Camerata and Manchester Jazz Festival.
World Literature Expand your reading horizons by checking out some of our acclaimed writers in translation. Hear stories from other countries and cultures including China, Denmark, Sweden, Spain and Sri Lanka.
Rising Stars Discover the authors, poets, graphic novelists and crime writers of the future at our special showcase events.
Industry Insights Get the inside story on how to ignite your creativity and develop your writing skills at a series of talks, panel discussions and workshops.
Literary Reputations Revisit the work and discuss the legacy of past literary icons from Ernest Hemingway, John Updike and Tennessee Williams to Elizabeth Gaskell, Chekhov and Edgar Allen Poe.
Literary Tour Learn more about Manchester’s rich literary heritage on one of our bespoke walking or coach tours.
Young Readers New generations of book lovers are inspired at our events aimed at schools and families.
4 Young Readers’ Projects
In addition to our main events, Manchester Literature Festival also has a year round programme of activities for children and young people. Taking place throughout Greater Manchester, these activities use stories as an inspiration to engage young people as the readers and writers of the future. Current projects include:
Read It, Watch It, Talk About It A weekly film/book club based at The Factory Youth Zone in Harpurhey. A fun and informal opportunity for young people aged 8 to 12 to get together, watch films, and talk about the stories that inspired them. Funding for this project has been provided by the Clore Duffield Foundation through its Clore Poetry and Literature Awards.
Writing Squad We are delighted to be working with the Writing Squad to support emerging young writers from the North West region to develop their craft. Our squad offers ten writers aged 16 - 21 the chance to work with each other and with professional tutors for two years. Alongside this they are also offered on-going support to help make their way in the literature industry. Examples of their work can be found at writingsquad.com/push.
Story Explorers Motivated by the power of reading for pleasure to improve literacy levels, we now run three Story Explorers groups in primary schools in Bowker Vale, Monsall and Moss Side. These sessions take place once a month, encouraging participants to dip into books and stories they are not familiar with, as well as sharing the ones that they already love. This project is Lottery funded through the Big Lottery Fund.
5 At a Glance
Main Event
Tales from the Towpath: a textural treasure Martin Amis & Nick Laird hunt - Story Trail Sunday 12th October, 6.30pm Monday 6th – Sunday 19th October Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama
Sebastian Barry & Colm Tóibín Suzannah Dunn & Maria McCann Monday 6th October, 6.30pm Monday 13th October, 6.30pm Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama Baronial Hall, Chetham’s School of Music
Graphic Novels: Stephen Collins & Nick Hayes Cynan Jones & Evie Wyld Tuesday 7th October, 7pm Monday 13th October, 6pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Simon Armitage Michel Faber Tuesday 7th October, 7.30pm Monday 13th October, 8pm Manchester Cathedral International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Pascale Petit Daljit Nagra: The Retold Ramayana Wednesday 8th October, 7pm Tuesday 14th October, 7.30pm Manchester Museum Contact
Alison Erika Forde & David Gaffney A.L. Kennedy Thursday 9th October, 6 – 8.30pm Tuesday 14th October, 8pm The John Rylands Library International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Esther Freud & Maggie Gee Polari Literary Salon Friday 10th October, 6.30pm Wednesday 15th October, 7.30pm Portico Library Contact
Poets & Players: Lorna Goodison & Kei Miller Afternoon Tea with Margaret Drabble Saturday 11th October, 2.30pm Thursday 16th October, 3pm Hallé St. Peter’s The Wyvern, Midland Hotel
Peter Blake Patience Agbabi Saturday 11th October, 3pm Thursday 16th October, 7.30pm Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama Contact
In the Dark Sheila Hancock Saturday 11th October, 6pm Friday 17th October, 1pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Royal Exchange Theatre
Sarah Waters Tom Pickard & Alan Gillis Sunday 12th October, 3pm Friday 17th October, 6pm Royal Exchange Theatre International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Simon Garfield & Shaun Usher Tales from the Towpath performance Sunday 12th October, 6pm Friday 17th October, 17.30, 19.30 & 21.30pm Portico Library Castlefield Basin
6 At a Glance
World Literature
Ben Watt Danish Crime: Elsebeth Egholm Saturday 18th October, 6pm & Lene Kaaberbol International Anthony Burgess Foundation Monday 6th October, 6pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation James Naughtie Saturday 18th October, 6pm Arne Dahl Portico Library Monday 6th October, 8pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Kate Tempest Saturday 18th October, 8pm Andres Neuman Contact Friday 10th October, 6.30pm Instituto Cervantes Afternoon Tea with Lynn Barber Sunday 19th October, 3pm Hong Ying The Trafford Suite, Sunday 12th October, 1pm Midland Hotel International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Howard Jacobson Ada Parellada Sunday 19th October, 6pm Wednesday 15th October, 6.30pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Instituto Cervantes
David Mitchell Roma Tearne Thursday 13th November, 7pm Saturday 18th October, 2pm Royal Northern College of Music Cross Street Chapel
New Commission Rising Stars
Afternoon Tea with Olivia Laing Northern Poets: Helen Burke & Andrew Forster Thursday 9th October, 3pm Monday 6th October, 1pm The Wyvern, Midland Hotel Central Library
Manchester Camerata & Bill Ryder Jones Graphic Novels: Darryl Cunningham & Thursday 9th October, 8pm (doors open 7.15pm) Ian Williams Manchester Cathedral Tuesday 7th October, 1pm Central Library Kamila Shamsie Thursday 16th October, 7pm Blog North Awards Manchester Art Gallery Wednesday 8th October, 7.30pm Deaf Institute The Gaeia Manchester Sermon Audrey Niffenegger Underground Crime: Eva Dolan & Oliver Harris Thursday 16th October, 7.30pm Friday 10th October, 1pm Manchester Cathedral Central Library
Adam Fairhall’s The Imaginary Delta Canongate Lates Sunday 19th October, 8pm Friday 10th October, 8pm Matt & Phred’s Jazz Club International Anthony Burgess Foundation 7 At a Glance
Rising Stars
Bad Language Tales from the Towpath Workshop 1: Saturday 11th October, 8pm Writing Immersive Stories International Anthony Burgess Foundation Saturday 11th October, 11am – 5pm YHA Manchester Conference Centre Lauren Owen & Sally Green Monday 13th October, 1pm Cross-Artform Collaborations Workshop Central Library Saturday 11th October, 1-3pm The John Rylands Library Tara Bergin & Caoilinn Hughes Tuesday 14th October, 1pm Tales from the Towpath Workshop 2: Central Library Building Immersive Stories Saturday 18th October, 11am – 5pm The Writing Squad People’s History Museum Wednesday 15th October, 1pm Central Library Northern Lights Writers’ Conference Saturday 25th October, 10.15am – 4.30pm Manchester Cathedral Poetry Prize Waterside Arts Centre Wednesday 15th October, 2.30pm Manchester Cathedral Literary Reputations Faber New Poets Wednesday 15th October, 6pm Not About Heroes Central Library Tuesday 7th October, 4pm Lowry Theatre The Art of the Reveal Thursday 16th October, 7pm Naomi Wood on Mrs Hemingway Kosmonaut Wednesday 8th October, 6pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Colin Barrett & Anna Whitwham Friday 17th October, 1pm Manchester Salon presents North & South Central Library Wednesday 8th October, 6pm Elizabeth Gaskell House Manchester Writing Competition Friday 17th October, 7pm Sean O’Brien & Frank Cottrell Boyce Baronial Hall, Chetham’s School of Music Wednesday 8th October, 8pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Industry Insights Adam Begley on John Updike Tuesday 14th October, 6pm Cory Doctorow International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tuesday 7th October, 7pm Waterstones Deansgate Blake Morrison on Anthony Burgess Thursday 16th October, 6.30pm Face 2 Face with Kay Mellor International Anthony Burgess Foundation Thursday 9th October, 6.30pm University of Salford, MediaCityUK
8 At a Glance
Young Readers
Barry Miles on William S. Burroughs The Children’s Bookshow with Daniel Morden Friday 17th October, 8pm Friday 10th October, 10.30am International Anthony Burgess Foundation Royal Exchange Theatre
John Lahr on Tennessee Williams Meg Rosoff Thursday 6th November, 6pm Monday 13th October, 1pm Royal Exchange Theatre Z-Arts
The Worst Princess Literary Tour Thursday 16th October, 10am Beswick Library First Editions & Rarities Walking Tour Thursday 16th October, 1.30pm Wednesday 8th October, 1.30-5.30pm North City Library Meet at the tiled wall map, Victoria Station Family Reading Day Piccadilly Poems & Abode Cream Tea Saturday 18th October, 11am – 4.30pm Walking Tour Central Library Friday 10th October, 1pm Meet outside Abode Hotel
The Manchester Man Walking Tour Saturday 11th October, 11am Meet outside the Park Inn, Cheetham Hill Road, M4 4EW
Northern Classics Literary Coach Tour Sunday 12th October, 11am – 4pm Meet outside the Britannia Hotel, Portland Street
Gaskell’s Manchester Walking Tour Wednesday 15th October, 1.30-4pm Meet outside St. Ann’s Church
Literary Manchester Walking Tour Thursday 16th October, 1pm Meet outside Midland Hotel
Boho Literary Pub Walking Tour Saturday 18th October, 5-8pm Meet outside the Midland Hotel, Peter Street
9 Main Event Rising Stars
Tales from the Northern Poets: Towpath: a textural Helen Burke & treasure hunt Andrew Forster Story trail
How well do we really know our city? Two poets hailing from different ends of the Discover the hidden, lost and imagined lives North come to the library to read their work of Manchester on this self-guided tour. A at this lunchtime event. Described by Ian new production for this year’s festival, Tales McMillan as ‘a poet with wit, verve and from the Towpath employs GPS, QR codes, humanity,’ Yorkshire native Helen Burke has micro-projection and micro-print publication been awarded the Manchester International, to create an immersive, multi-sensory the Suffolk Poetry Prize, and the Ilkley experience. Maya Chowdhry is a writer Literature Performance Poetry Prize. Her and interactive artist making work for radio, collection The Ruby Slippers brings together print and installation. Michelle Green is a the finest poems from a career spanning 40 multi-disciplinary artist specialising in poetry, years. She will be reading from this and her spoken word, short fiction and participatory new collection Here’s Looking at You, Kid. arts. Sarah Hymas’s writing has appeared in Andrew Forster lives in Cumbria where he print, multimedia exhibits, dance videos, as combines writing with work at the lyrics and on stage. Helen Varley Jamieson is Wordsworth Trust. He founded the Portobello a digital artist, theatre practitioner and writer. Poets, a performance group who organise regular readings. His first collection, Fear of Thunder, was shortlisted for the 2008 Monday 6th – Sunday 19th October Forward Prize for best first collection. No booking or tickets necessary. For details of how to access the story trail visit talesfromthetowpath.net. If you need Monday 6th October, 1pm to borrow a smartphone for the story trail, Central Library email [email protected] Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
10 World Literature Main Event
Danish Crime: Sebastian Barry Elsebeth Egholm & Colm Tóibín & Lene Kaaberbol
From Copenhagen to Manchester, Anyone curious about the current state Scandinavian crime has taken the world by of the Irish novel should not miss this rare storm and two of Denmark’s hottest crime opportunity to see two of the country’s writers are in the spotlight at an event that most accomplished masters of the form includes readings and lively discussion of the in conversation. Three times shortlisted for genre. Lene Kaaberbol is the author of the the Booker Prize, Colm Tóibín is the author popular Nina Borg thrillers and The Shamer of seven novels. He returns to The Centre Chronicles, a young-adult series in which a for New Writing to launch Nora Webster, girl with magical powers investigates crimes. a major new work which revisits the main Elsebeth Egholm writes the bestselling character of his bestselling novel Brooklyn. Dicte Svendsen mysteries as well as several Sebastian Barry’s five novels have won acclaimed novels including Three Dog Night. numerous awards including the James The event will be chaired by critic and fellow Tait Black Memorial Prize and Costa Book crime writer Peter Guttridge. of the Year. His new novel The Temporary Gentleman also returns to an existing family of stories, populated by characters from Monday 6th October, 6pm his dazzling, lyrical 2008 novel The Secret International Anthony Burgess Foundation Scripture. Barry’s powerful readings have Tickets £6/£4 concessions been compared to ‘revivalist meetings’ Book on 0843 208 0500 or by the Guardian. manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
Monday 6th October, 6.30pm Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama Tickets £8/£6 Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
11
World Literature Rising Stars
Arne Dahl Graphic Novels: TO THE TOP OF Darryl Cunningham THE MOUNTAIN & Ian Williams
As The Killing, The Bridge and the gritty, Two graphic novelists use their art to windswept crime thrillers of Henning Mankell illuminate some of the most complex and and Jo Nesbø continue to transfix the British timely problems of modern society. The public, readers with a taste for Scandi crime author of the highly-acclaimed Psychiatric won’t want to miss Arne Dahl. The author Tales and Science Tales, Darryl Cunningham of the Intercrime series featuring Detective takes us to the heart of free-market politics Paul Hjelm that was recently adapted for and the financial crisis with his brilliant BBC Four, Dahl comes to Manchester to forthcoming book Supercrash: How to discuss crime writing and promote the third Hijack the Global Economy. Jon Ronson book in the series. In To The Top of the said of Cunningham, ‘it takes other authors Mountain, Hjelm and his team are faced with whole books to say what Darryl can say in the threat of a terrorist attack in Sweden. a single illustration.’ Ian Williams holds the Join us for an evening of dark thrills chaired distinction of working both as a GP and a by Peter Guttridge. graphic novelist and founded the website GraphicMedicine.org. His funny and eloquent graphic novel, The Bad Doctor, is Monday 6th October, 8pm a wry account of life behind the scenes at a International Anthony Burgess Foundation medical practice, from the humdrum to the Tickets £6/£4 concessions tragic. Stitches author David Small described Book on 0843 208 0500 or it as ‘skillfully told, relentlessly honest, often manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk funny and painfully true.’
Tuesday 7th October, 1pm Central Library Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
13 Literary Reputations Industry Insights
Not About Heroes Cory Doctorow Post-Show Discussion Information Doesn’t on Sassoon, Owen Want to Be Free & WW1
‘These poems are not about heroes, my Pursuing a creative life in the 21st century subject is war, and the pity of war’ wrote is an unprecedented challenge. There’s Wilfred Owen in the preface to his first nothing you can do that’ll work for everyone, collection of poetry in 1918. In the centenary and anything that works for you will stop year of the First World War, Feelgood Theatre working as soon as the technology moves Productions bring Stephen MacDonald’s on. Being an artist today means continuously inspiring play, Not About Heroes, to The reevaluating proposals for improbable- Lowry. The play follows war poets Owen seeming ways of getting food on the table. and Siegfried Sassoon from their meeting Award-winning author, activist, and journalist during convalescence at Craiglockhart Cory Doctorow takes you through three War Hospital through the blossoming of an simple rules for evaluating digital business intense friendship to their return to action, models for creative people, and explains where Sassoon survived but Owen died how the choices you make about your digital seven days before the Armistice. Join creativity resonate through the whole web of Feelgood Productions Director Caroline the 21 century’s electronic nervous system. Clegg for a post-performance discussion This fascinating talk is presented by Open about the play, the poets and their inspiring Rights Group and MLF. legacy. Tickets for the performance are available separately from Lowry. Tuesday 7th October, 7pm Waterstones Deansgate Tuesday 7th October, 4pm Tickets are free but booking is advised Lowry Theatre Book on http://bit.ly/org-manchester-cory Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
14
Main Event Main Event
Graphic Novels: Simon Armitage Stephen Collins Paper aeroplane & Nick Hayes IN CONVERSATION WITH RACHEL COOKE
A must for fans of the illustrated word, When Simon Armitage burst onto the poetry this event features two of Britain’s most scene in 1989 with his spectacular debut extraordinary graphic novelists discussing Zoom! it was clear he would go on to reshape their craft. Stephen Collins won the Jonathan the landscape of contemporary poetry. Cape/Observer Graphic Short Story Prize Since then, he’s published ten collections 2010 and his first book, The Gigantic Beard of poems, two best-selling non-fiction books That Was Evil, became the best-selling and a new translation of Sir Gawain and the graphic novel in 2013. His forthcoming Green Knight. He’s also written several book, Some Comics, ranges from the true acclaimed plays including The Last Days identity of Kim Jong-un’s life coach to how of Troy, which recently finished a successful everything is ruined by the internet. Nick run at the Royal Exchange. On the eve of his Hayes is the author of Lovely Grey Day, latest collection Paper Aeroplane: Selected 11 Folk Songs and The Rime of the Modern Poems 1989-2014, Armitage will be talking Mariner. An update of Coleridge’s famous about his engaging, darkly comic and poem, the latter was described as ‘an irreverent work with author and Observer extraordinary achievement… simultaneously writer Rachel Cooke. Held in the atmospheric poetical, polemical and frequently beautiful’ Manchester Cathedral, don’t miss this by Martin Rowson. Gorgeously illustrated, opportunity to hear one of the country’s his upcoming book Woody Guthrie And best loved poets discuss his craft. the Dust Bowl Ballads is a visual biography of America’s greatest and most enduring protest singer-songwriter. Tuesday 7th October, 7.30pm Manchester Cathedral Tickets £8/£6 concessions Tuesday 7th October, 7pm Book on 0843 208 0500 or International Anthony Burgess Foundation manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Tickets £6/£4 concessions Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
16 Literary Tour Literary Reputations
First Editions & Naomi Wood Rarities Walking Mrs. Hemingway Tour
Rare book aficionados, here’s an What was it like to fall in love with Ernest incomparable chance to get a closer look Hemingway? Drawing on extensive research at some of the priceless literary treasures and travels to Antibes, Key West, Cuba held in the collections of Manchester’s great and Paris, Naomi Wood’s Mrs Hemingway libraries. Tour-goers will be able to admire gives us a fictional portrait of Papa through the earliest editions of Ulysses, Mary Barton the perspectives of his four wives: Hadley and Confessions of An English Opium Eater, Richardson, Pauline Pfeiffer, Martha Gellhorn take a gander at Henry VIII’s own signed and Mary Welsh Hemingway. An intoxicating copy of Prosper of Aquitaine and inspect novel that brings to life the story of the an original Tyndale Bible. Author and most famous writer of his generation, Mrs Manchester city guide Ed Glinert will relate Hemingway chronicles how the four vivid, some bookish history between stops. accomplished women who married him found unique ways to navigate a union marked by passion and deceit. Naomi Wood Wednesday 8th October, 1:30-5:30pm is also the author of The Godless Boys, Meet at the tiled wall map, Victoria Station which is currently being adapted for film. Tickets £10 She lives in London and teaches creative Book on 0843 208 0500 or writing at Goldsmiths. The Times described manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Mrs Hemingway as ‘a wonderful book: carefully written, richly imagined and emotionally wise.’
Wednesday 8th October, 6pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets £6/£4 concessions Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
17
Literary Reputations Literary Reputations
Manchester Salon Sean O’Brien & presents North Frank Cottrell & South Boyce The Art of the Short Story
At a time when sleek, richly produced Following last year’s sell-out Art of the Short costume dramas of nineteenth century Story event, Comma Press brings you the Britain have captured the popular second of its Morphologies masterclasses; imagination, we head to the newly a series of talks by contemporary short story refurbished Elizabeth Gaskell's House for writers on past masters of the form. Tonight, a festival edition of Manchester Salon. Join two of Britain’s best loved writers – multi- us as we explore Gaskell’s novel North and award-winning poet and author of The South (1855), what it shows us about the Silence Room, Sean O’Brien, and acclaimed dynamics of Britain’s industrial revolution screenwriter and author of the Olympics and what contemporary interest in it can opening ceremony, Frank Cottrell Boyce – tell us about society today. How should we offer personal and professional reflections be reading novels from different historical on two of the most important short story periods, and are we ultimately doomed writers of all time, Edgar Allan Poe and to misread them? Guest speakers include Anton Chekhov. Angelica Michelis, Alan Shelston, Vanessa Pupavac and Helen Nugent. Wednesday 8th October, 8pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Wednesday 8th October, 6pm Tickets £6/£4 concessions Elizabeth Gaskell's House Book on 0843 208 0500 or Tickets £10/£8 concessions manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Limited capacity, book on http://north-and-south.eventbrite.co.uk
19 Main Event Rising Stars
Pascale Petit Blog North Awards
Take a wild trip from the Rainy City to the A good blog can be anything: the surreal City of Light. Join Manchester Prize-winning wonderings of a Huddersfield postie, the poet Pascale Petit as she launches her sixth hopes and fears of a young widow facing collection, Fauverie. Her previous collection her future, or a collection of gonzo junk What the Water Gave Me: Poems after Frida food reviews… and that’s just a few of the Kahlo, was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize writers who have graced the Blog North and Wales Book of the Year, and was Jackie stage in recent years. Join us for the 9th Kay’s Book of the Year in The Observer. annual instalment of this live literature event Drawing on a time when Petit was in Paris recognizing the most vital, innovative to spend time with her dying father, Fauverie and engaging writing happening on the explores the savage aspects of the city, the Northern internet. This year’s edition will darker elements of human nature and the feature readings from this year’s shortlisted grace and power of endangered animals – bloggers, a surprising performance from and, fittingly, the event will take place in the Manchester writing collective Flashtag and atmospheric surroundings of the Manchester the premiere of a specially-commissioned Museum’s Living Worlds Gallery. short story from Lancaster writer Claire Dean… not forgetting the crowning of 2014’s dazzling blogstars. For more Wednesday 8th October, 7pm information on entering the awards go Manchester Museum to blognorthawards.com. Tickets £6/£4 concessions Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Wednesday 8th October, 7.30pm Deaf Institute Tickets £6/£4 concessions Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
20 New Commission Industry Insights
Afternoon Tea Face 2 Face with Olivia Laing with Kay Mellor
With her two sublime and revelatory books, Writing for television is a fiercely competitive To The River and The Trip to Echo Spring, arena. If you’re working – or thinking of Olivia Laing has established a reputation as working – as a scriptwriter, take advantage one of the UK’s finest writers of non-fiction. of this unbeatable chance to draw upon the Like Robert Macfarlane, Rebecca Solnit and wisdom and experience of Kay Mellor. After WG Sebald, she writes beautiful passages starting her career by forming the Yorkshire that blend literary biography, memoir and Theatre Company and touring her own plays, travel with personal and poetic observations. she has written continuously for theatre and Nick Cave declared it ‘a beautiful book television, with stints on Coronation Street that has stayed with me in a profound way.’ and Brookside. She is the creator of award- Recently appointed writer in residence at winning dramas including Band of Gold, Fat Manchester’s iconic Midland Hotel, Laing Friends, The Chase, A Passionate Woman has been commissioned by MLF and the and The Syndicate. She was awarded the Midland to write a piece of work inspired BAFTA Dennis Potter award in 1997 for by the hotel. Come and hear her read and Outstanding Writing for Television. Her new discuss her work over tea and scones. drama series In The Club, about pregnancy For those who wish to know more about and the changing nature of relationships, will the Midland, there will also be an optional be on BBC One later this year. She will be tour of the hotel at 1pm with historian talking with Kate Rowland, Creative Director Barbara Frost. of New Writing at the BBC. This event is run in partnership with BBC Writersroom.
Thursday 9th October, 3pm The Wyvern, Midland Hotel Thursday 9th October, 6.30pm Tickets £18/£15 concessions University of Salford, MediaCityUK (includes tea and scones) Tickets are free and can be reserved plus £5 for optional tour on a first come, first served basis at: Book on 0843 208 0500 or https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/qa-with-kay- manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk mellor-tickets-11826201487
21 IF I F Main Event New Commission
Alison Erika Forde Manchester & David Gaffney Camerata & Bill Men Who Like Ryder-Jones Women Who Smell If... of Their Jobs
By turns funny and disturbing, David MLF and Manchester Camerata are proud Gaffney’s short sharp fictions are powerful to present the first live performance of things; The Guardian said: ‘One hundred Bill Ryder-Jones’s landmark solo album and fifty words by Gaffney are more If… Composed and recorded as a tribute worthwhile than novels by a good many to Italo Calvino’s playful, postmodern novel others.’ In this specially commissioned If On A Winter’s Night A Traveller, If… is a exhibition of paintings inspired by his collection of cinematic songs that fuse brilliantly weird stories, Gaffney’s Sawn-off exquisite strings and sublime orchestral Tales are re-envisioned by Manchester visual movements with emotive, vocal led pieces. artist Alison Erika Forde, whose playful, Inspired by composers like Clint Mansell eclectic work draws from a similarly dark and Abel Korzeniowski, If… establishes sensibility. Manchester electronic ambient the former lead guitarist with The Coral as a musicians O>L>A have also responded with talented composer and songwriter. A unique original music inspired by the works. This collaboration, this event will feature Ryder- launch event will feature an introduction to Jones on guitar and vocals and leading the pieces by Alison Erika Forde, readings Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, from David Gaffney, authors Anneliese in the inspiring surroundings of Manchester Mackintosh and Socrates Adams and a Cathedral. Drinks will be available in the live performance of the music by O>L>A. pop-up Cathedral from 7pm and after The exhibition runs from 1 October to the concert. 31 January, with a free tour on Saturday 18 October at 2pm. Thursday 9th October, 8pm (doors open 7.15pm) Thursday 9th October, 6-8.30pm Manchester Cathedral The John Rylands Library Tickets £15 Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0844 907 9000 Book on 0843 208 0500 or or bridgewater-hall.co.uk manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk #CamerataBRJ
23 Young Readers Rising Stars
The Children’s Undergound Crime: Bookshow with Eva Dolan & Oliver Daniel Morden Harris
Presented by MLF and The Children’s Two of Britain’s most promising crime Bookshow, this is a morning of spellbinding writers come together to discuss morality storytelling suitable for children aged 9 to 11 and murder, crime and the city. Oliver years. Daniel Morden has travelled all over Harris’s debut novel, The Hollow Man, was the world as a professional storyteller, greeted with rave reviews. Val McDermid bringing to life the stories and tales that have declared it ‘a twisting spiral of lies and helped us make sense of our world through corruption, a pitch perfect portrait of the ages. His latest book Dark Tales From contemporary London.’ Driven by an The Woods is an anthology of red-blooded accelerated pace and engaging plot, fairy tales of the kind that have been told his second novel Deep Shelter follows by the fireside for hundreds of years. Here Detective Nick Belsey deep into the bowels you will find tales of enchantment, mystery of subterranean London. Eva Dolan was and danger where ordinary people triumph shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association through their own bravery and native wit. Dagger Award and her exhilarating debut, Long Way Home, is the first in a major new crime series. Tautly written, it focuses Friday 10th October, 10.30am on a detective duo that encounter human Royal Exchange Theatre trafficking, slum landlords, far right Tickets £4 extremists and hidden communities on Book on 0161 833 9833 or their quest to solve the murder of a local royalexchange.co.uk migrant worker. Doug Johnstone called it ‘a truly exceptional debut’ and ‘a game- changer’ for contemporary British crime.
Friday 10th October, 1pm Central Library Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
24 Literary Tour Main Event
Piccadilly Poems Esther Freud & Abode Cream & Maggie Gee Tea Walking Tour with Anne Beswick
Explore the little-known Piccadilly basin, Two of Britain’s most celebrated novelists tucked away behind the Edwardian splendor come to The Portico Library for what is sure of the Abode Hotel. With canals, railways to be a fascinating evening of readings and and a variety of interesting architecture old literary discussion. The author of seven and new to encounter, learn about the area’s novels including Love Falls and Lucky Break, industrial heritage and the real lives of Esther Freud will be reading from her eagerly Mancunians past and present. With readings anticipated new book, Mr Mac and Me. of poems by Blake Morrison, Lemn Sissay, In 1914 Suffolk, Thomas Maggs’ quiet life John Cooper Clarke and Carol-Ann Duffy is interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious along the way, you’ll finish up with tea and Scotsman – the architect Charles Rennie cream scones back in the luxurious Mackintosh – and the two men forge an surroundings of the Abode Hotel. unlikely friendship on the home front. Ann Patchett called it ‘as close to a perfect novel as anything I’ve read in a long time.’ Friday 10th October, 1pm Maggie Gee’s Virginia Woolf in Manhattan Meet outside Abode Hotel starts with an author researching the Tickets £14 Bloomsbury writer’s work – only to have her Book on 0843 208 0500 or subject appear and wreak havoc upon her manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk life. Gee is the author of eleven acclaimed novels, including The White Family (shortlisted for the Orange and IMPAC prizes) and My Driver, and was described by the Sunday Times as ‘one of our most ambitious and challenging novelists.’ Doors will be open from 6pm and drinks available.
Friday 10th October, 6.30pm Portico Library Tickets £6/£4 Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
25 World Literature Rising Stars
Andres Neuman Canongate Lates with Emma Jane Unsworth, AnneliEse Mackintosh, Zoe Pilger & Karima Francis
Sooner or later, we all face loss. Spanish Three hot early-career writers share tales writer Andrés Neuman comes to Manchester of young women forging their own bold to promote his new novel, Talking to and unconventional paths in life. Emma Jane Ourselves. Told in alternating narratives, Unsworth’s second novel, Animals, follows it’s the story of a family transformed by grief, the filthy, riotous adventures of two best journeying along the fringes of the Spanish friends in Manchester and has been speaking world and beyond the borders of described by Caitlin Moran as ‘Withnail with their own moral comfort zones. The son of girls.’ Anneliese Mackintosh’s first collection Argentine musicians who emigrated to Spain, of semi-autobiographical short stories, Any Neuman has published numerous short Other Mouth, is a frank and funny account stories, essays and poetry collections. His of sexual misadventure, bereavement and book Traveller of the Century was awarded self-discovery in the vein of Miranda July. the Alfaguara and National Critics Prizes, Zoe Pilger’s ruthlessly sharp debut novel, Eat and was described in The Guardian as ‘a My Heart Out, has been described as ‘like a beautiful, accomplished novel: as ambitious foul-mouthed Nancy Mitford for the Gawker as it is generous, as moving as it is smart.’ generation.’ The event will also feature live music from singer-songwriter Karima Francis, and will be hosted by Katie Popperwell. Friday 10th October, 6.30pm Don’t miss this evening of raw, wild and Instituto Cervantes self-revelatory new writing and music. Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Friday 10th October, 8pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets £7/£5 Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
26 Literary Tour Industry Insights
The Manchester Man Tales from the Walking Tour with Towpath Workshop 1: Anne Beswick Writing Immersive Stories with Maya Chowdhry & Michelle Green
The Manchester Man walking tour returns Two connected, immersive literature-making after a sell-out success last year. In this workshops explore writing site-responsive classic Victorian novel, Isabella Banks tells texts. We’ll be using Manchester’s waterways the story of Jabez Clegg from the time of as a starting point for a new piece of writing the Napoleonic wars to the first Reform Act. with historical, social and personal Jabez’s rise to local prominence as well as resonances. In this workshop we will create his complex and melodramatic love life is a draft text that will be used for our second told against the backdrop of some of the real workshop on Saturday 18th October; historical events that shaped the city. We attending both workshops is advised. Both can still see the places that made Jabez workshops are designed for people with into the original Manchester Man right here some prior experience of writing. Maya in our 21st century city. Hear his story and Chowdhry is a writer and interactive artist the echoes of Manchester’s past in our walk making work for radio, print and installation. through the city streets. Michelle Green is a multi-disciplinary artist specialising in poetry, spoken word, short fiction and participatory arts. Saturday 11th October, 11am Meet outside the Park Inn, Saturday 11th October, 11am - 5pm Cheetham Hill Road, M4 4EW. YHA Manchester Conference Centre Tickets £7 Tickets £10/£8 Book on 0843 208 0500 or Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
27 D W O M O I L K R UND E Main Event Main Event
Poets & Players Peter Blake with Lorna Goodison Under Milk Wood & Kei Miller
‘Raise high the roofbeams, here comes MLF and the Dylan Thomas 100 are delighted a strong new presence in poetry,’ Lorna to present a rare in-conversation with the Goodison wrote of Kei Miller in 2006. Join us Godfather of Pop Art. A prolific artist known for a rare opportunity to hear these two gifted for his beautiful collages, paintings and Jamaican-born poets read together. Lorna record sleeves, Sir Peter Blake is also a Goodison, winner of the Commonwealth life-long admirer of Welsh poet and playwright Poetry Prize and Musgrave Gold Medal, Dylan Thomas. Published to mark the writes ‘poetry that is both innocently free- centenary of Dylan Thomas’s birth, Blake’s ranging and intellectually sharp, sensuously Under Milk Wood includes an impressive abundant yet elegantly restrained’, whilst Kei body of work inspired by the characters, Miller, currently shortlisted for the Forward locations, narratives and dream sequences Prize, offers ‘radiant utterance... (which) of Thomas’s cult radio play. Created over speaks of island experiences and gender the last three decades, the work includes politics from a deep well of understanding, portraits, watercolours and collages that with empathy, humour and insight’. Music lovingly imagine Thomas’s fictional village will be by Manchester-based trumpeter, of Llaregubb. This event will be hosted by composer, arranger and bandleader Matthew author and Dylan Thomas expert, Jeff Towns, Halsall whose unique sound was described and will feature projections of Blake’s art. as ‘rain-streaked spiritual jazz’ by The Independent. He will be joined by Rachael Gladwin on harp and Gavin Barras on double Saturday 11th October, 3pm bass, playing music from their latest album, Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama When The World Was One, which draws on Tickets £8/£6 concessions the legacy of Alice Coltrane. Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
Saturday 11th October, 2.30pm Hallé St Peter’s Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
29 Industry Insights Main Event
Cross-Artform In The Dark Collaborations Workshop with Alison Erika Forde & David Gaffney
When artists from different artforms work In The Dark is a collaborative project together, surprising things can happen. between a new generation of radio producers Visual artist Alison Erika Forde has and radio enthusiasts. Their aim is to create responded to the twisted tales of micro a mini-revolution in the way people think fiction writer David Gaffney in a unique about spoken-word radio by lifting it out of exhibition, Men Who Like Women Who its traditional settings and celebrating it in Smell Of Their Jobs, while O>L>A have new and exciting ways. Over the last five created music inspired by both the stories years, they have commissioned new works and the paintings. But what is it like to from producers around the world and staged embark on a cross-artform collaboration? riveting live listening events at festivals, In this hands-on workshop, Forde and theatres, cinemas and museums. For this Gaffney will explore the collaborative special Manchester Literature Festival event, process and look at the challenges it can they will be presenting an audio exploration raise. Writers and artists working in any on the secrets and mysteries of the written field are welcome. word. Expect to hear about everything from the dangerous days of Edgar Allan Poe to books with hidden chapters and some Saturday 11th October, 1-3pm very unusual ways of getting rid of The John Rylands Library unwanted volumes. Join In The Dark for Tickets are free but booking is advised an enlightening evening of radio at its Book on 0843 208 0500 or most vibrant and unexpected. manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
Saturday 11th October, 6pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
30 Rising Stars Literary Tour
Bad Language Northern Classics with Matt Haig & Literary Coach Tour The Writing Squad
Manchester’s hottest live lit night, Bad Take a journey through Greater Manchester’s Language, joins forces with The Writing literary heritage. Travelling by coach, this Squad for a bumper MLF edition headlined tour, led by Manchester city guide and author by novelist Matt Haig. The bestselling author Ed Glinert will soak up the atmosphere at of The Radleys and The Last Family in locations that inspired Charles Dickens, England, Haig will read from new book The Shelley, Howard Spring, Walter Greenwood, Humans, in which Professor Andrew Martin Harrison Ainsworth and many others. of Cambridge University solves the world’s There will be a coffee break at the legendary greatest mathematical riddle – and then Portico Library. Please bring a packed lunch. disappears, only to turn up walking naked along the motorway, consumed with loathing for the human race. The Times called it Sunday 12th October, 11am – 4pm ‘wonderfully funny, gripping and inventive.’ Meet outside the Britannia Hotel, The Writing Squad runs writing development Portland Street programmes across the North, nurturing Tickets £16 gifted young writers through workshops, (Food not provided; please bring mentoring, performances and creative a packed lunch) partnerships. With the pick of the Bad Book on 0843 208 0500 or Language collective’s roster of electrifying manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk performers alongside emerging talent, expect an evening of fresh, original writing.
Saturday 11th October, 8pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets £6/£4 Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
31 World Literature Main Event
Hong Ying Sarah Waters THE PAYING GUESTS
MLF and the Confucius Institute at the One of the country’s most celebrated writers, University of Manchester are delighted to Sarah Waters is cherished by critics, fellow present a rare event with bestselling Chinese authors and readers. Her acclaimed novels author Hong Ying. A decade on from her include The Little Stranger, Night Watch, internationally acclaimed memoir Daughter Tipping the Velvet, Affinity and Fingersmith. of the River, Hong Ying returns to work the She has won numerous awards including fertile ground of her own past with The Betty Trask and a Somerset Maugham, and Good Children. By turns heart-wrenching her books have been adapted for television. and brave, the book explores her troubled Her much anticipated new novel, The Paying relationship with her estranged mother. From Guests, is a thrilling tale of forbidden love her mother’s funeral, the author goes back described with excruciating tension, real and forth between past and present, through tenderness and believable characters. Set in memories and anecdotes to unravel the London in 1922, it shows how passions and forty years following her departure from frustrations mount when an impoverished Chongqing to Beijing and then England. widow and her spinster daughter are obliged Hong Ying was born into a sailor’s family and to take in paying guests to make ends meet. is best known in the English-speaking world The arrival of a modern young couple shakes for her novels: K: The Art of Love (which won up the routine of the house but no one can the Primo de Rome in 2005), The Concubine see how devastating the disturbances will be. of Shanghai, Peacock Cries and Summer Join us for this special event. of Betrayal.
Sunday 12th October, 3pm Sunday 12th October, 1pm Royal Exchange Theatre P International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets £8/£6 Tickets £6/£4 concessions Book on 0161 833 9833 or Book on 0843 208 0500 or royalexchange.co.uk manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
32 TH EG I N S AY T PG £ S Main Event Main Event
Simon Garfield Martin Amis & Shaun Usher & Nick Laird To The Letter & Letters of Note
Letter writing: a vanishing skill? Two Widely considered to be one of the greatest authorities on the epistolary art come to writers of our age, Martin Amis returns to the Manchester to rifle through the history of university where he was inaugural professor letters at this event bringing together two of creative writing to read from his fascinating books on the subject. The author forthcoming novel, The Zone of Interest, a of 14 illuminating works of non-fiction love story set in the Holocaust that excavates including On The Map and Just My Type, the depths and contradictions of human Simon Garfield’s To The Letter explores nature. Can love survive living hell? And can what our correspondence reveals about we even meet each other’s eye, after we our lives and how a single letter can change have seen who we really are? The recipient the course of history. It was described by the of the Betty Trask Prize, a Somerset Sunday Times as ‘a rich cull of curiosities… Maugham award, and the Geoffrey Faber remarkable.’ Following the runaway success Memorial Prize, Nick Laird is the author of of his eponymous website, Shaun Usher’s two novels and three collections of poetry. Letters of Note presents over one hundred His most recent collection of poems, Go of the world’s most entertaining, inspiring Giants, was published last year. The New and unusual letters – including unforgettable Yorker said ‘the range of these scrupulous letters from Katharine Hepburn, Iggy Pop, poems suggests there is little in form or Bill Hicks and Groucho Marx – as well as the content that Laird cannot master.’ Don’t Queen’s personal recipe for scones. Stephen miss what is sure to be a wide-ranging and Fry called it ‘stupendous… my book of the intellectually stimulating conversation year. You will never tire of it.’ Doors will be between two men of letters. open from 5.30pm and drinks available.
Sunday 12th October, 6.30pm Sunday 12th October, 6pm Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama Portico Library Tickets £8/£6 Tickets £8/£6 Book on 0843 208 0500 or Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
34 Rising Stars Young Readers
Lauren Owen Meg Rosoff & Sally Green
An afternoon of dark, supernatural fiction Meg Rosoff is one of the country’s most with two scintillating new writers. The Quick, powerful and engaging Young Adult authors. the well-received first novel from Lauren She has been awarded numerous prizes for Owen, travels from the tragedy shared by her work, including the Guardian and Banford a young brother and sister on a Yorkshire Boase awards, and won the much-coveted estate to the rooms of London’s mysterious Carnegie medal in 2007. Her debut novel, Aegolius Club, populated by the most How I Live Now, was also released as a powerful men in late 19th century England. major motion picture last October. Hear Hilary Mantel called the book ‘a sly and Meg talk about the inspiration behind her glittering addition to the literature of the catalogue of critically acclaimed novels, macabre,’ adding ‘it’s hard to believe it is including Just in Case, What I Was and her a first novel.’ Sally Green’s Half Bad is the most recent novel, Picture Me Gone, which first volume of a new young adult series Guardian columnist Lucy Mangan described set in a modern England where witches as, ‘completely, completely wonderful – and humans warily co-exist. A fast-paced beautiful, sad, funny and true, with a heroine supernatural thriller with more than a few who lodges herself in your mind and in your narrative tricks up its sleeve, Kate Atkinson heart as she pieces together the million tiny described it as ‘the new Hunger Games, I clues we leave in life about who and what we suspect… Brilliant and utterly compelling.’ are.’ This event is suitable for young adults aged 12 years and up.
Monday 13th October, 1pm Central Library Monday 13th October, 1pm Tickets are free but booking is advised Z-Arts Book on 0843 208 0500 or Tickets are £4 manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Book on 0161 232 6089 or Z-arts.org
35 Main Event Main Event
Suzannah Dunn & Cynan Jones Maria McCann & Evie Wyld The History Girls
The past may be a foreign country, but it’s Join us to hear two of the winners of the one we can visit through the transformative 2014 Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize. One journey of the historical novel. Here two of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists, masters of the form address the intricacies Evie Wyld published her debut novel, After of recreating past events. Suzannah Dunn’s The Fire, A Still Small Voice, to widespread tautly plotted new novel, The May Bride, critical acclaim. Her latest novel, All The reveals a previously unexplored dimension Birds, Singing, is a dark, suspenseful tale to Jane Seymour, the most beloved of Henry that explores landscapes, nature, outsiders VIII’s wives. The author of four bestselling and tentative redemption with brooding historical novels, The Daily Telegraph called beauty. Cynan Jones’s novels include The Dunn ‘a lyricist of ordinary life and ordinary Long Dry, Everything I Found on the Beach people transfigured by extreme emotions.’ and Bird, Blood, Snow. Set on a rural farm, Maria McCann’s latest novel Ace, King, his latest novel The Dig is a haunting and Knave is a rich novel of power, sex and masterful tale of isolation, violence, chance in 1760s London, a city whose masculinity and loss infused with gritty genteel civility belies the violence bubbling realism. Jon McGregor called it ‘moving, underneath – and where two women are evocative and utterly compelling’ whilst about to discover the secrets lurking within Sarah Waters praised ‘his passion for the their own lives. McCann’s first novel, As landscape – its colours, its creatures, its Meat Loves Salt, was described as ‘riveting’ textures, its scent – is absolutely magnetic.’ by Lionel Shriver, and she followed it in 2009 The event will be chaired by author and with the well-received The Wilding. Join us JFU judge Matt Haig. for an evening of conversation and readings hosted by Festival Chair Jerome de Groot. Monday 13th October, 6pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Monday 13th October, 6.30pm Tickets £6/£4 concession Baronial Hall, Chetham’s School of Music Book on 0843 208 0500 or Tickets £6/£4 concessions manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
36
Main Event Rising Stars
Michel Faber Tara Bergin & THE BOOK OF STRANGE Caoilinn Hughes NEW THINGS
We are thrilled that bestselling writer Michel Two poets deeply engaged in transforming Faber will be giving a special preview of and updating the Irish poetry tradition read his first new novel in 14 years. Gorgeously their debut collections from Carcanet. A written, The Book of Strange New Things Dubliner living in England, Tara Bergin did her is an original and quietly powerful tale of doctoral work on Ted Hughes’s translations love, faith, adventure, change and dystopia. of János Pilinszky. Her poetry was included Focused around a Christian missionary, in the bestselling Carcanet anthology New it’s a momentous tale of humanity and the Poetries V and she will be reading from the search for meaning in an unfathomable well-received This is Yarrow, where sensuous universe. New York Times called Faber’s lyricism mingles with the unsettling familiarity writing ‘wildly entertaining’ and the Guardian of folklore and dream. Born in Galway in stated ‘This is a man who could give Conrad 1985, Caoilinn Hughes spent time in New a run at writing the perfect sentence.’ An Zealand working for Google and writing award-winning writer, he has written eight novels on the weekends before focusing books including novellas and short story on poetry. Her writing aligns scientific and collections. His novel, The Crimson Petal artistic undertakings to create work of and the White, was adapted into a BBC4 striking energy that is virtuosic in its use of drama and his electrifying debut, Under language. Poems from Gathering Evidence the Skin, was recently made into a film have won a number of awards including the directed by Jonathan Glazer and starring 2012 Patrick Kavanagh Award. Scarlett Johansson.
Tuesday 14th October, 1pm Monday 13th October, 8pm Central Library International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets are free but booking is advised Tickets £6/£4 concession Book on 0843 208 0500 or Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
38 Literary Reputations Main Event
Adam Begley Daljit Nagra John Updike The Retold Ramayana
In 60 books and 27 novels, John Updike When British poet Daljit Nagra was a little earned a reputation as one of modern boy, his grannies told him stories of Rama’s America’s greatest men of letters. In this quest to rescue his wife Sita who was authoritative new biography, the first abducted by Raavana, Lord of the following the writer’s death in 2009, Adam Underworld. These stories – The Ramayana Begley shows us the inner life of a man – have enchanted Eastern audiences for who saw himself as a literary spy in small- centuries. Now Nagra has reinterpreted town New England, seeking to capture them for a modern, multi-cultural, multi- ‘middleness with all its grits, bumps and faith audience with The Retold Ramayana. anonymities.’ Begley explores how the Presented by MLF and Jaybird Live events in Updike’s life shaped him and Literature, Nagra’s one man performance reveals a deeply complex nature full of will include wild monkey battles, tender contradictions – a gentle soul with a vicious technicolour love scenes, brilliant animations wit; a gregarious charmer who was ruthlessly and a Bollywood pantomime fizz. A competitive. Formerly Books Editor for the captivating performer, Nagra was the first New York Observer and a Guggenheim poet to win the Forward prize for his debut Fellow, Begley’s writing regularly appears collection Look, We Have Coming to Dover! in major newspapers and journals on both sides of the Atlantic. Critic Janet Malcolm said of the book ‘this is literary biography Tuesday 14th October, 7.30pm at its highest level of truth.’ Begley will be Contact in conversation with Ian McGuire. Tickets £6/£5 Book on 0161 274 0600 or contactmcr.com/daljitnagra Tuesday 14th October, 6pm Age Guidance: 11+ International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets £6/£4 concessions Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
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Main Event Rising Stars
A.L. Kennedy The Writing Squad: All The Rage Lenni Sanders & James Varney
A.L. Kennedy has twice been selected The Writing Squad is the North West’s as one of Granta’s Best of Young British development programme for emerging Novelists and won the Costa Book of the young writers. Meeting in Manchester, Year for her novel Day. Over five previous Newcastle and Sheffield, they nurture young collections, she’s also shown herself to talent through workshops, mentoring and be a master of the short story. Her latest ongoing, creative projects. Lenni Sanders collection, All The Rage, presents a dozen and James Varney are current members stories and a dozen different ways of looking of the Writing Squad and frequent at love, or lack of love. Here in the everyday collaborators and performers, both with world we all inhabit she reveals the battlefield each other and whoever else they can get of the heart, where some characters will their respective hands on. The pair enjoy prevail and others will be lost. With following the process, through prose, poetry compassion and dark humour, All The and reporting, as they investigate how far Rage takes us from a shocking admission collaboration can be taken to channel on a railway platform to an uncomfortable multiple voices into a single piece. lunch between two apparent strangers that culminates in a passionate kiss. ‘You do not know this man. He is practically a Wednesday 15th October, 1pm stranger. Only he’s not.’ Central Library Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or Tuesday 14th October, 8pm manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets £6/£4 concession Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
41 Literary Tour Rising Stars
Gaskell’s Manchester Manchester Cathedral Walking Tour Poetry Prize
When Mrs Gaskell’s Mary Barton appeared Songs of praise, the airing of doubts or in 1848 it kicked up a storm in cultured struggles toward the sacred – the poetry Mancunia. Could the wife of the Unitarian of faith can be all of these things and more. minister at Cross Street Chapel really have The winner of this year’s international written so vituperative an account of those interfaith poetry competition will be kindly, God-fearing mill owners? Ed Glinert announced at this celebratory event, leads this walk around sights and sites featuring wide-ranging readings from the significant to the life and work of this shortlisted poets and competition judge fascinating writer, finishing up with a visit Helen Tookey. Helen is a poet, writer and to the historic and recently re-opened editor based in Liverpool. She has been Elizabeth Gaskell's House. Managing Editor at Carcanet Press since 2012 and recently published the collection Missel-Child. Jeffrey Wainwright described Wednesday 15th October, 1:30-4pm her poems as ‘embodied in a language Meet outside St. Ann’s Church that is sensuous and strong.’ Tickets £8 Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Wednesday 15th October, 2.30pm Manchester Cathedral Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
42 World Literature Rising Stars
Ada Parellada Faber New Poets: Rachael Allen, Will Burns, Zaffar Kunial & Declan Ryan
This intimate event at Instituto Cervantes One of Britain’s most respected publishers, offers audiences a rare chance to hear Faber & Faber are the pre-eminent publishers Catalan chef and restaurateur Ada Parellada of poetry in the UK, from TS Eliot and wax lyrical about her debut novel Vanilla Salt. Seamus Heaney to Lavinia Greenlaw and A richly sensual exploration of the kitchen Alice Oswald. Selected from more than 850 and the human heart, it’s a Catalan love story applicants, their 2014 Faber New Poets will in which an eccentric chef and a beautiful be reading a selection of work from their first Canadian woman discover that, despite their pamphlets at this special showcase event. different backgrounds, they share a painful Rachael Allen is the co-editor of poetry past. Parellada made a name for herself anthology series Clinic, and her poems have with the innovative restaurant Semproniana appeared in various publications. Will Burns in Barcelona, and now also owns Coses de is Poet-In-Residence at Caught By The River Menjar and Acontecimiento in Lisbon. An and has published poems in South Bank ideal evening for lovers of Catalan culture, Poetry, Illustrated Ape and the Independent food and romance. Online. Zaffar Kunial lives in Cumbria where he has just become the 2014 Wordsworth Trust Poet in Residence. Declan Ryan was Wednesday 15th October, 6.30pm born in Mayo, Ireland and his poems, essays Instituto Cervantes and reviews have been widely published. Tickets are free but booking is advised Come hear what the future of poetry Book on 0843 208 0500 or sounds like. manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
Wednesday 15th October, 6pm Central Library Tickets are free but booking is advised Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
43 Main Event Young Readers
Polari Literary Salon The Worst Princess Feat Paul Burston, Neil Bartlett, Rosie Garland, Jonathan Harvey & VG Lee
London’s award-winning LGBT literary salon New Writing North and Sage Gateshead began life in November 2007 in the upstairs present their original take on Anna Kemp room of a bar in Soho. Events are now held and Sara Ogilvie’s acclaimed children’s monthly at the Southbank Centre and feature book The Worst Princess. In a lonely tower, the best in established and emerging, queer Princess Sue waits to be rescued; she just literary talent. Championed by Sarah Waters wishes her loyal prince would move his royal as “always fun, always thought-provoking”, bum. But when he finally does arrive, he’s Polari won ‘LGBT Cultural Event of the Year’ not quite what she had in mind. Find out in the Co-op Respect Awards. Hosted by how the feisty princess defies expectations author Paul Burston, this special salon for in this funny twist on a traditional fairytale. Manchester Literature Festival features This adventurous and interactive production performances from author & playwright features puppetry, live music, and plenty Neil Bartlett (The Disappearance Boy), of scope for children to sing along. Suitable scriptwriter & novelist Jonathan Harvey for children under 7 years. (The Girl Who Just Appeared, Beautiful
Thing), comedian & writer VG Lee (Always You, Edina) and novelist & performance Thursday 16th October, 10am poet Rosie Garland (Vixen, The Palace of Beswick Library Curiosities). Age Guidance 16+. Thursday 16th October, 1.30pm North City Library Tickets are free but booking is Wednesday 15th October, 7.30pm essential. Priority will be given to local Contact schools and families. You can reserve Tickets £6/£5 tickets by emailing: Book on 0161 274 0600 or [email protected] contactmcr.com/polari
44 Literary Tour Main Event
Literary Manchester Afternoon Tea Walking Tour with with Margaret Anne Beswick Drabble
Stroll the city streets with a truly Mancunian Enjoy afternoon tea with one of the grand guide and her love of the local literature. dames of modern English literature in this Manchester’s streets have been home to intimate event at the historic Midland hotel. so many great writers. Hear about our One of the most accomplished writers of her men; Anthony Burgess, Howard Jacobson, generation, Margaret Drabble is the author Walter Greenwood, and our women; Shelagh of seventeen acclaimed novels including A Delaney, Dodie Smith and Hilary Mantel. Summer Bird-Cage, The Millstone and The Realism, fantasy, humour and sports writing Peppered Moth. Her latest novel, The Pure all have a home here. Did you know that Gold Baby, is a life-affirming story of family, Harry Potter was born in Manchester? friendship, motherhood and transformation. Find out more on this fascinating walk Spanning several decades of dramatic that will finish with coffee and cake at change, it’s also a wise and powerful People’s History Museum Couture Café. portrait of modern life and our shifting 25 people maximum. attitudes and responsibilities towards each other. Alice Sebold praised The Pure Gold
Baby as ‘an unexpected gift from a great Thursday 16th October 1pm writer’ whilst The Observer called it ‘a unique Meet outside Midland Hotel and profoundly stirring book.’ This event is Tickets £10.50 sponsored by Squire Patton Boggs. Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Thursday 16th October, 3pm The Wyvern, Midland Hotel Tickets £18/£15 concessions (includes tea, cake & scones) plus £5 for optional tour Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
45 Literary Reputations New Commission
Blake Morrison 2014 Kamila Shamsie Burgess Lecture: The Sensory War Confessions of the Hack Trade
For the 2014 Burgess Lecture, we are Acclaimed author Kamila Shamsie has delighted to welcome acclaimed writer been commissioned by MLF to respond to Blake Morrison to Manchester to talk about Manchester Art Gallery’s landmark exhibition Anthony Burgess’s journalism. Anthony The Sensory War 1914-2014, exploring how Burgess wrote many hundreds of articles, artists have communicated the impact of reviews and opinion pieces for newspapers war on the body, mind, environment and and magazines in a journalistic career human senses across the century. Kamila spanning more than fifty years. His writing Shamsie grew up in Karachi and now lives was characteristically provocative and in London. One of Granta’s Best of Young informative, entertaining and extravagant, British authors, her novels include Burnt always readable, never dull, and Shadows, Broken Verses, Salt and Saffron, extraordinary in its range, erudition and Kartography and In the City by the Sea. energy. Blake Morrison has written for many Set in India, France, England and Turkey, newspapers himself, and was literary editor her latest novel, A God In Every Stone, is of The Observer and the Independent on a compelling tale of friendship, injustice, Sunday before becoming a full-time author love, betrayal, history and fallen empires. in 1995. His many books include South As Colum McCann stated ‘into the ranks of Of The River, The Last Weekend and the international voices steps Kamila Shamsie, memoirs And When Did You Last See Your who seems as if she has heard, and listened Father? and Things My Mother Never Told to, the music of what surrounds us.’ Me. Join Blake Morrison for a discussion of Burgess’s work, and the ways in which newspaper culture has changed. Thursday 16th October, 7pm Manchester Art Gallery Tickets are free but booking is advised Thursday 16th October, 6.30pm Book on 0843 208 0500 or International Anthony Burgess Foundation manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Tickets £6/£4 concessions Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
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R E S Rising Stars Main Event
The Art of the Patience Agbabi Reveal with Telling Tales Sarah Schofield & Arthur Allan
Short story specialists Comma Press launch Award-winning poet Patience Agbabi their latest new writer anthology, themed retells Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales around ‘the reveal’: stories with a hidden, for the 21st century in her new book Telling secondary narrative. Join them in the Tales. Mining Chaucer’s Middle-English convivial surroundings of Kosmonaut’s masterwork for its performance as well as cellar bar, for readings and discussion with its poetry and pilgrims, this boisterous and two of the UK’s most talented, emerging lyrical collection gives one of Britain’s most short story writers. Sarah Schofield’s significant works of poetry thrilling new life. stories have appeared in Lemistry, Bio Punk, Agbabi is the author of three collections, Thought X and Lancaster litfest’s Flax #030: Bloodshot Monochrome, Transformatrix The Language of Footprints. She has written and R.A.W., and a former Poet Laureate of for Writers Inc, The Calderdale Short Story Canterbury. A dynamic live performer, she Competition, The Guardian Travel Writing has toured widely with the British Council Competition and the Bridport shortlist. Arthur and her poems have appeared on radio and Allan lives in Edinburgh, where he works as a televison. This event is part of the Telling journalist. His stories have been published in Tales Tour produced by Renaissance One. various anthologies and he’s just completed “A pilgrimage of punks, badasses, broken a novel with the Scottish independence hearts, beat poets, silver-tongued fixers, campaign as a backdrop. town criers, beauties, sinners. A jostle of life... A poem on wheels. Inventive, risky, serious and fun.” Jeanette Winterson Thursday 16th October, 7pm Kosmonaut Tickets are free but booking is advised Thursday 16th October, 7.30pm Book on 0843 208 0500 or Contact manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Tickets £6/£5 Book on 0161 274 0600 or contactmcr.com/patienceagbabi Age Guidance: 16+ (Adult content)
48 New Commission Rising Stars
The Gaeia Colin Barrett & Manchester Sermon Anna Whitwham Audrey Niffenegger
We are thrilled that Chicago-based writer Bare knuckle, no-holds-barred fiction is the and visual artist Audrey Niffenegger will main attraction at this afternoon event with be delivering the 5th Manchester Sermon, two of the hottest new talents in publishing. reflecting on ethical issues of the day. Her Boxer Handsome, Anna Whitwham’s first debut novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife, was novel, tells the story of Bobby, a young boxer an international bestseller that has been coming of age in the East End, navigating a translated into 40 languages. Her other path between warring tribes amid the tumult books include Her Fearful Symmetry and of austerity Britain. Andrew Motion called it the graphic novels The Three Incestous ‘a tremendous debut – lean but capacious, Sisters, The Adventuress and The Night elegant but tough, tempered but resonant.’ Bookmobile. Her illustrated novella, Raven Colin Barrett’s powerful debut collection, Girl, was recently adapted into a ballet by Young Skins, gives us the youth of a small Wayne McGregor for the Royal Opera House. town in rural Ireland, who make their own One of our most imaginative authors, she fun, live hard and wear the scars of growing frequently explores dreams, desire, love, up in a crucible of menace and desire. Jon death, myths, fables and storytelling in McGregor said of him ‘Colin Barrett is a her work. This event is sponsored by young man in the town of the short story, but Gaeia, ethical financial advisers based it’s fair to say he has the run of the place.’ in Manchester.
Friday 17th October, 1pm Thursday 16th October, 7.30pm Central Library Manchester Cathedral Tickets are free but booking is advised Tickets £8/£6 Book on 0843 208 0500 or Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
49 Main Event Main Event
Sheila Hancock Tom Pickard In Conversation & Alan Gillis with Jenni Murray
One of England’s best loved actors, Sheila Two writers come together for an evening of Hancock has enjoyed a long and successful hard-hitting poetry imbued with the rhythms career both on stage and screen. In recent of everyday Britain. A poet whose work years, she’s also become a best-selling shares much with the American Beats, Tom author with a number of acclaimed memoirs Pickard was described by Allen Ginsberg as including Ramblings of an Actress, The Two ‘one of the most live and true poetic voices in of Us and Just Me. This autumn, she Great Britain.’ He founded the Morden Tower publishes her debut novel, Miss Carter’s War. readings series in Newcastle in 1963 and his A powerful, panoramic portrait of post-war Ballad of Jamie Allan (2007) won the National Britain, it chronicles the extraordinary life and Book Critics Circle Award. Carcanet has just times of one woman on a mission - to fight published his Collected Poems, Hoyoot. social injustice, prevent war and educate her Funny, irreverent and sometimes shocking, girls. Written in Hancock’s trademark style, it the poetry of Alan Gillis employs the speech transports the reader from the CND marches of post-millennial age with great precision. of the 1950s and Swinging Sixties to the A Belfast native whose work was shortlisted AIDS epidemic of the 80s and the war in Iraq. for the TS Eliot and the Irish Times/Poetry Come and hear Sheila discuss her novel and Now Prizes, his fourth book Scapegoat the issues that inspired it with broadcaster will be published by The Gallery Press Jenni Murray. in October.
Friday 17th October, 1pm Friday 17th October, 6pm Royal Exchange Theatre International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets £8/£6 concessions Tickets £6/£4 concessions Book on 0161 833 9833 or Book on 0843 208 0500 or royalexchange.co.uk manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
50 Rising Stars Main Event
Manchester Tales from the Writing Competition Towpath Performance Presented by Maya Chowdhry, Adam O’Riordan & Michelle Green, Nicholas Royle Sarah Hymas & Helen Varley Jamieson
Since it’s launch in 2008, Carol Ann Duffy’s The Tales from the Towpath story trail Manchester Writing Competition has culminates in a rich multi-voiced attracted almost 9,000 submissions from performance on a traditional narrowboat over 50 counties and awarded more than moored at Castlefield. History and passion £75,000 to its winners. Join judges Adam sprinkled with wit provide a waterside O’Riordan (In the Flesh) and Nicholas Royle evening of intimate atmosphere and quiet (First Novel) for this special evening to revelations. Trail walkers and workshoppers celebrate the 2014 Manchester Poetry can influence the performance by and Fiction Prizes. There will be readings submitting your ideas or story fragments from each of the short-listed pieces, and to talesfromthetowpath.net by mid-day our judges will offer their thoughts on the Wednesday 15th October. Maya Chowdhry state of poetry and story publishing and the is an award-winning writer and inTer-aCtive nature of literary prizes, before announcing artist making work for radio, print and the winners. James Draper and Matthew installation. Michelle Green is a multi- Frost will host the event and tickets include disciplinary artist specialising in poetry, entry to a pre-event drinks reception. The spoken word, short fiction and participatory Manchester Writing Competition is run by arts. Sarah Hymas’s writing has appeared the Manchester Writing School at MMU, in in print, multimedia exhibits, dance videos, partnership with MLF and Macdonald Hotels. as lyrics and on stage. Helen Varley To find out more about the competition visit: Jamieson is a digital artist, theatre www.manchesterwritingschool.co.uk practitioner and writer.
Friday 17th October, 7pm Friday 17th October, 17:30, Baronial Hall, Chetham’s School of Music 19:30 & 21:30pm Tickets £5 Castlefield Basin Book on 0843 208 0500 or Tickets £6/£4 concessions manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
51 Literary Reputations Young Readers
Barry Miles Family Reading Day William S Burroughs Artful Playground, – A Life One Moment in Time, Steve Hartley & others
It’s been 50 years since Norman Mailer Join us for a day of fictional fun as popular described William S. Burroughs as ‘the children’s performers and authors bring only American novelist living who may stories to life. Maisy Mouse drops in for Story conceivably be possessed by genius.’ Time with Maisy & Dad – Dads, bring along Radical, relentlessly political and fiercely your little ones and get reading!. Hilarious experimental, with the publication of The children’s author Steve Hartley reads from his Naked Lunch in 1959 and its censorship for brilliant children’s series Oliver Fibbs and obscenity, Burroughs became one of the Danny Baker Record Breaker. Theatre godfathers of 60s counterculture. And his company One Moment in Time reimagine the wild life was every bit as shocking as his classic fairytales of Joan Aiken in their work. In the seminal Beat writer’s centenary enchanting performance of A Necklace of year, Burroughs’ friend and collaborator Raindrops. Artful Playground’s interactive Barry Miles has published an authoritative musical adventure Lolly, Pops and Circus new biography that shows us the mercurial Props sees Lolly realize that running away man behind the cult figure and reveals his from the circus might not have been such a struggles with relationships, addiction and good idea, and then use her circus skills to the conventions of a society in which he get back again! You can also drop in to our was a natural outsider. The Times said Market Place at any time throughout the day of the book: ‘The life of this disturbing and for free crafts and activities. Suitable for disturbed man has never been so perfectly children aged 3-8 years and their families. told.’ Miles will be in conversation with Doug Field. Saturday 18th October, 11am-4pm Manchester Central Library Friday 17th October, 8pm Tickets £2 each event. International Anthony Burgess Foundation For full programme details and booking Tickets £6/£4 concessions information, visit the festival website: Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
52 Industry Insights World Literature
Tales from the Roma Tearne Towpath Workshop 2: Building immersive stories with Sarah Hymas & Helen Varley Jamieson
Two connected immersive literature-making The Manchester branch of Amnesty workshops for writers explore ways into International is proud to present an writing site-responsive texts and how they afternoon with Sri Lankan-born artist, writer can be disseminated so form complements and film-maker, Roma Tearne. Tearne was subject. Using the draft text created at a Fellow at Oxford Brookes University and the first workshop, this workshop focuses has had many national and international on creative aspects of digitalising and exhibitions. It was while working as presenting your work using projection, Leverhulme Artist in Residence at the unusual print formats and location-specific Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, that she tools. Participants are guided through a began to write. Her writing is both informed choice of tools to produce a draft immersive and inspired by her and her family’s text. Sarah Hymas is a writer, specialising experience of fleeing Sri-Lanka. She has in poetry, performance and artists’ books. written five novels and will be reading from Her artist’s booklet Lune (2013) was featured her award-winning books Brixton Beach in The Guardian Books Blog. Helen Varley and The Swimmer. Both novels offer the Jamieson is a digital artist, theatre reader ‘a rare insight into the subtle and practitioner and writer. Recent projects dramatic ways we are shaped by conflict’ include make-shift and We Have a Situation!, and draw on issues of civil war, persecution a series of networked performances and and torture, migration, self-identity and loss. discussions addressing topical issues Roma’s talk will be followed by a Q&A and in Europe. book signing.
Saturday 18th October, 11am - 5pm Saturday 18th October, 2pm People’s History Museum Cross Street Chapel Tickets £10/£8 concessions Tickets £7/£5 concessions Book on 0843 208 0500 or Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Proceeds from this event will go to Manchester Amnesty International Group
53 Literary Tour Main Event
Boho Literary Pub Ben Watt Walking Tour Romany & Tom
Combine books and beers on this relaxed A modern renaissance man, Ben Watt is a meander through the colourful literary life of musician, songwriter, DJ, author and one the city’s historic public houses. With plenty half of bestselling pop duo Everything But of time to hear relevant extracts (and get in a The Girl. His first memoir, Patient: The True few swift halves) the tour will stop at the Story of a Rare Illness, was a New York regular haunts of Manchester writers Times Book of the Year and described by including Howard Jacobson, John Cooper William Boyd as ‘a fine testimonial to his Clarke, Walter Greenwood as well as the fortitude and his power as a writer.’ His observant visitors who passed through and second memoir, Romany and Tom, is a captured their impressions of the city before funny, engaging and bittersweet tale of love last orders. and loss, ambition and stardom, life in clubs and life in care homes. Beautifully written, it chronicles the colourful lives of his parents Saturday 18th October, 5-8pm – jazz musician Tommy Watt and RADA- Meet outside the Midland Hotel, Peter Street trained actress and showbiz writer Romany Tickets £8 Bain – their love affair, marriage and decline Book on 0843 208 0500 or into old age. We’re delighted that Ben will manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk be joining us for a rare 'in conversation' with Observer writer and fellow author Rachel Cooke.
Saturday 18th October, 6pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets £7/£5 Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
54 Main Event Main Event
James Naughtie Kate Tempest The Madness of July HOLD YOUR OWN
Radio 4 broadcaster James Naughtie One of the most original and electrifying has drawn on decades of experience spoken word artists in the UK, Kate Tempest as a political insider in Westminster and was crafting rhymes at 16 and performing Washington for his debut work of fiction, spoken word at 21. Since then, she’s read her The Madness of July. A sophisticated thriller fresh and inventive poetry everywhere from about loyalty, survival and family rivalry deep Glastonbury to New York’s Nuyorican poetry in the Cold War, it introduces us to the world slam. Kate recently became the first person of foreign office minister Will Flemyng. under 40 to win the prestigious Ted Hughes Trained as a spy for a life behind enemy lines, Award for her poem Brand New Ancients. Flemyng is compelled to go back after a Manchester Literature Festival are delighted mysterious death threatens to envelop him to present this special event showcasing in a political crisis. In the course of one long work from her forthcoming collection, Hold weekend he must question all his loyalties: Your Own. Continuing Kate’s fascination to his friends, his enemies, and to his own with Greek mythology, it’s an ambitious two brothers. Join us in The Portico Library and multi-voiced collection follows the to hear Naughtie wax lyrical about power, many transformations of Tiresias. Age corruption and politics. Doors will be open Guidance 16+. from 6pm and drinks available.
Saturday 18th October, 8pm Saturday 18th October, 6pm Contact Portico Library Tickets £10/£8 Tickets £6/£4 Book on 0161 274 0600 or Book on 0843 208 0500 or contactmcr.com/katetempest manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
55
Main Event Main Event
Afternoon Tea Howard Jacobson with Lynn Barber J
‘This became my career: asking questions Born in Manchester, Howard Jacobson is that other people wanted to know the one of Britain’s most acclaimed and prolific answers to but were too embarrassed novelists. He won the 2010 Man Booker prize to ask.’ One of the nation’s most beloved for his novel, The Finkler Question as well as journalists, Lynn Barber has by her own the Everyman Wodehouse Award for comic admission always suffered from a compelling writing for The Mighty Waltzer. A gifted sense of nosiness. In her candid and funny satirist, he’s written about everything from new memoir, A Curious Career, Barber takes family, friendships and relationships to the us from her early days interrogating foot death of publishing. His latest novel J is a fetishists at Penthouse through her more dystopian thriller in the tradition of Nineteen eminent later days dissecting the great and Eighty Four and Brave New World. Set in a good at the Telegraph, Vanity Fair and the future where the past is a dangerous country, Sunday Times. Hear what really happened J is a love story of incomparable during her four-day interview with Salvador strangeness, both tender and terrifying. Two Dali, as well as her perspective on locking people fall in love, not knowing where they horns with Marianne Faithfull and infuriating have come from or where they are going. Are Rafael Nadal’s fans. A Curious Career follows they acting of their own accord or have they her acclaimed first memoir, An Education, been pushed into each other’s arms? And which was made into a major film. Don’t what is the momentous catastrophe – the miss what is sure to be an illuminating, event now referred to as What Happened, If It frank and uproarious conversation between Happened– that dominates life in this world? one of Britain’s most ferocious interviewers and Observer journalist and author Rachel Cooke. Sunday 19th October, 6pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation Tickets £6/£4 Sunday 19th October, 3pm Book on 0843 208 0500 or The Trafford Suite, Midland Hotel manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Tickets £18/£15 concessions (includes tea, cake & scones) plus £5 for optional tour Book on 0843 208 0500 or manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
57 New Commission Industry Insights
Jackie Kay with Northern Lights Adam Fairhall’s The Writers’ Conference Imaginary Delta Feat Will Self
Commissioned by MLF and Manchester Creative Industries Trafford and MLF Jazz Festival, pianist and composer Adam present the second Northern Lights Writers’ Fairhall’s The Imaginary Delta is a riotous Conference, a one day conference for re-imagining of early jazz forms via a mixture emerging and established writers. Will Self of old and new idioms, archaic blues will give a special masterclass exploring his instruments and new technologies. Samples work and inspirations ahead of the release from vintage recordings are used to invoke of his new novel, Shark. There will also be the past in a soundworld that is playful, a series of talks and panel discussions haunting and often downright unruly. They including ‘making writing pay’ with author include the songs of Bessie Smith, who also Joanna Kavenna (The Ice Museum) and provides the inspiration for Jackie Kay’s new poet Jo Bell. Writers can also get practical poems in which the author boards a Pullman advice on issues including fundraising with car to travel across Tennessee with The author David Gaffney, book marketing with Empress of the Blues. Poignant, bittersweet, Louise Rhind-Tutt (LRT Publicity) and and funny, these poems meet at the representations from literary agents Juliet crossroads where the blues and poetry Pickering (Blake Friedmann Agency) and collide. Jackie Kay is the author of several Louise Lamont (LBA Books). The event prize-winning collections of poetry, including will close with a networking session where The Adoption Papers and Fiere, as well as participants can meet the speakers and short stories, plays and the memoir Red discuss the day’s themes. Dust Road. Supported by The Madeline Mabey Trust. Saturday 25th October, 10.15am-4.30pm Waterside Arts Centre Sunday 19th October, 8pm Tickets £30/£25 concessions Matt & Phreds Jazz Club Book on 0161 912 5616 or Tickets £10/£8 creativeindustriestrafford.org/events/ Book on 0843 208 0500 or northernlights manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
58 Literary Reputations Main Event
John Lahr David Mitchell Tennessee Williams: THE BONE CLOCKS Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh
To coincide with the Royal Exchange’s MLF and Waterstones Deansgate present production of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, an evening with David Mitchell, the multi- legendary theatre critic and playwright John award winning author of Cloud Atlas, Black Lahr will be doing a rare in conversation Swan Green and The Thousand Autumns about cult American playwright Tennessee of Jacob De Zoet. He will be discussing Williams. The author of eighteen books, his much anticipated new novel The Bone Lahr was the senior drama critic of The New Clocks, which follows the life of Holly Sykes Yorker for over two decades and the first after she encounters a strange woman critic to win a Tony Award. His forthcoming offering a small kindness in exchange for biography Tennessee Williams: Mad ‘asylum’. Decades will pass before Holly Pilgrimage of the Flesh is a trenchant understands exactly what sort of asylum exploration of Williams’s classic plays and the woman was seeking... An enthralling the tortured process of bringing them to metaphysical thriller, The Bone Clocks is a stage and screen. Brilliantly written, Flesh novel of grand ideas and a masterpiece of gives access to the mind of the man whose storytelling that illustrates Mitchell’s inventive works, including A Streetcar Named Desire brilliance and bold literary talent. This is a and The Glass Menagerie, reshaped the rare opportunity to meet a British author nation’s sense of itself. Presented on the whose popularity and influence is growing stage of the Royal Exchange, this event year on year. offers theatre lovers a chance to immerse themselves in the alluring, incendiary world of one of America’s most colourful Thursday 13th November, 7pm playwrights. Royal Northern College of Music Tickets £8/£6 concessions Book on 0843 208 0500 or Thursday 6th November, 6pm manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Royal Exchange Theatre Tickets £6/£4 Book on 0161 833 9833 or royalexchange.co.uk
59 MLF 2014 Venue List
For Google map links and further information on venue accessibility, please check the festival website: manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
1. Abode Manchester 10. Elizabeth 18. Martin Harris Centre 27. Royal Exchange 107 Piccadilly Gaskell’s House for Music and Drama Theatre Manchester M1 2DB 84 Plymouth Grove Bridgeford Street St Ann’s Square 0161 247 7744 Ardwick The University of Manchester M2 7DH Manchester M13 9LW Manchester 0161 833 9833 2. Beswick Library 01663 744233 Manchester M13 9PL 60 Grey Mare Lane 0161 275 8951 28. Royal Northern Manchester M11 3DS 11. Hallé St Peter’s College of Music 0161 245 7241 40 Blossom Street 19. Manchester 124 Oxford Road Ancoats Cathedral Manchester M13 9RD 3. Britannia Hotel Manchester M4 6BF Victoria Street 0161 907 5200 Portland Street 0161 312 2068 Manchester M3 1SX Manchester M1 3LA 0161 833 2220 29. University of Salford 12. Instituto Cervantes MediaCityUK 4. Castlefield Basin 326-330 Deansgate 20. Manchester Museum Salford M50 2EQ Liverpool Road Campfield Avenue Arcade University of Manchester 0161 886 5300 Manchester M3 4JR Manchester M3 4FN Oxford Road 0161 661 4200 Manchester M13 9PL 30. Victoria Station 5. Central Library 0161 275 2648 Todd Street St Peters Square 13. International Anthony Manchester M3 1PB Manchester M2 5PD Burgess Foundation 21. Matt and Phreds 0161 234 1983 The Engine House Jazz Club 31. Manchester Visitor Chorlton Mill 64 Tib Street Information Centre 6. Chetham’s 3 Cambridge Street Manchester M4 1LW 45-50 Piccadilly Plaza School of Music Manchester M1 5BY 0161 831 7002 Portland Street Long Millgate 0161 235 0776 Manchester M1 4AJ Manchester M3 1SB 22. Midland Hotel 0871 222 8223 0161 834 9644 14. The John Peter Street Rylands Library Manchester M60 2DS 32. YHA Manchester 7. Contact 150 Deansgate 0161 236 3333 Conference Centre Oxford Road Manchester M3 3EH Potato Wharf Manchester M15 6JA 0161 306 0555 23. North City Library Manchester M3 4NB 0161 274 0600 Rochdale Road 0845 371 9647 15. Kosmonaut Manchester M9 4AF 8. Cross Street Chapel 10 Tariff St 0161 219 6442 33. Waterside Cross Street Manchester M1 2FF Arts Centre Manchester M2 1NL 24. Park Inn 1 Waterside Plaza 0161 834 0019 16. The Lowry 4 Cheetham Hill Road Sale M33 7ZF Salford Quays Manchester M4 4EW 0161 912 5616 9. Deaf Institute Manchester M50 3AZ 0161 832 6565 135 Grosvenor Street 0843 208 6000 34. Waterstones Manchester M1 7HE 25. People’s History Deansgate 0161 276 9350 17. Manchester Museum 91 Deansgate Art Gallery Left Bank Manchester M3 2BW Mosley Street Spinningfields 0161 837 3000 Manchester M2 3JL Manchester M3 3ER 0161 235 8888 0161 838 9190 35. Z-arts 335 Stretford Road 26. Portico Library Manchester M15 5ZA 57 Mosley Street 0161 226 1912 Manchester M2 3HY 0161 236 6785
60 23 30 18 24 A665
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T A56 Arndale STREET Centre B 21 BOOTH TI T EE R S M TREET 27 ARKET STREE OLDHAM STREE
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TE NEWTON STREET 25 T 8 Market Street BR IDGE STREE DEANSGA 15
T 34 CROSS STREE 31 14 Piccadilly A34 Manchester Gardens QU 1 T AY Town Hall 7 STREE 26 A6 T DUCIE STREE MOSLEY STREET T PETER STREE 17 3 T
TE T 5 LAND STREE 4 RT STORE STREE 22 PO LI VE St. Peter’s Piccadilly RPOOL ROAD12 DEANSGA Square Train Station PRINCESS STREET
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Y WA 7 A5103 STRETFORD 35 61 GET CLOSER LITEto Ryour AfavouriteTURE Manchester Literature Festival Each year our audiences develop, expand celebrates its 9th anniversary and grow stronger whilst our education work is at an all-time high. Whilst we are this year. indebted to our key funders, Arts Council England, Manchester City Council and MLF is celebrated as one of the UK’s most principal sponsor HSBC Bank, we are innovative and exciting literature festivals. Our a not-for-profit organisation and need mission is to present an annual celebration of to generate new sources of income to literature across the city, using Manchester’s secure our future and to help us to grow iconic cultural landmarks and atmospheric whilst keeping ticket prices affordable. venues for a series of Live Literature events designed to fuel the imagination by marrying We are therefore delighted this year to be words with place. launching Get Closer, a scheme which invites literature lovers to enjoy a closer relationship What makes us unique? Unlike other book with MLF, access greater insight into the festivals, we present a distinctive programme world of imaginative writing and help support that focuses solely on imaginative writing, our future Festivals. fiction, poetry, literary biography and creative memoir. We also commission new and If you’ve enjoyed your experiences at MLF inspiring work from established and emerging in the past, or are new to the Festival, we authors, which means our programme is hope you will consider joining us… packed with fresh and original work you won’t experience anywhere else. Sarah-Jane Roberts & Jon Atkin Acting Co-Directors Our Festival programme offers 80 events Cathy Bolton featuring over 200 authors across 30 Festival Director venues and is complemented by a year-round programme of educational activities in the community. As regular Festival-goers will know, it’s a packed two weeks offering live performances, ‘in conversations’ and Sponsored by special collaborations.
62 GET CLOSER MEMBERSHIP Become a Member of our Get Closer Membership scheme.
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Member: £20pa Premium Member: £50pa Membership is limited to 50 people • 10 days priority booking from 9 August Go the extra mile and receive ahead of general public ‘on-sale’ from all Members’ benefits plus: 18 August • Members only ‘meet the author’ events • Reserved seating during the year • Invitation to annual VIP Festival • Subscription to members only monthly Launch event with Drinks Reception e-newsletter (featuring must-read new • Annual Premium members-only authors, publication dates for new special event anticipated best-sellers, suggested reading from the Festival team and a selection of our authors, and hints To join, simply add the preferred and tips for book clubs) membership to your shopping basket • 10% off on books purchased at festival when you book tickets* at events with our partner Waterstones manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk • Occasional ticket offers and discounts from our partners We look forward to welcoming you!
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X1372 Oxford Lit Fest Ad 2014 Prem 2.indd 1 02/07/2014 12:57 The Midland in Manchester is one of the city’s The Midland fi nest hotels offering truly supreme service levels, excellent facilities and an unbeatable location. Manchester The next time you are looking for a stunning city centre hotel for a conference, meeting or a city break look no further than The Midland, Manchester.
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Booking Festival Staff Please see individual events for booking Festival Acting Co-Directors: details – tickets for most events can be Sarah-Jane Roberts & Jon Atkin booked through our main box office agent Festival Director (on sabbatical): Cathy Bolton Quay Tickets on 0843 208 0500 or online Children and Young People’s Programming via the festival website: Co-ordinator: Jennie Brown manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk or Festival Fundraiser: Charlotte Platt quaytickets.com. Digital Marketing Assistant & Copywriter: Kate Feld When you book directly through Quay Event Manager: Ian Hyde Tickets, you won’t have to pay any additional booking fee on your tickets. The only cost on Board of Trustees top of the ticket price is £2 postage per order. Katherine Beacon, Jan Bradley, Ed Farrelly, Jerome de Groot, Matthew Frost, Colette Access Morgan-Ford, Punam Ramchurn & Alison We endeavour to make festival events Spenceley. accessible to all and welcome you to contact us at the address below regarding Festival Patrons any specific requirements you may have Paul Abbott, Carol Ann Duffy, Jenni Murray, to enable your participation in the festival. Miranda Sawyer & Michael Schmidt.
Manchester Literature Festival Press & PR The Department Store, 5 Oak Street, Catharine Braithwaite & Shelagh Bourke, Manchester M4 5JD Lethal Communications 0161 832 5502 07947 644110 / 07971 819016 [email protected] manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk Design MARK Studio Company Registration No. 4369668 0161 237 3712 / markstudio.co.uk Charity Registration No. 1121276 Hotel Partner To the best of our knowledge, all The Midland Hotel programming information was correct 0161 236 3333 / qhotels.co.uk at the time of going to print. Festival Bookshop Waterstones Deansgate 0843 290 8485 / waterstones.com
70 CREDITS AND INFORMATION
Thanks Donate to MLF We are truly grateful for the continued support Manchester Literature Festival is a registered of the Festival’s Principal Sponsor HSBC and charity and operates on modest means. our main public funders Arts Council England To help support the festival’s valuable work and Manchester City Council for enabling us in programming and commissioning the to produce our most ambitious celebration of best contemporary literature from across literature so far. We would also like to extend the world, please make a donation via the a huge thank you to all our project and event festival website. partners and sponsors, participating artists, and our dedicated team of freelance Manchester Literature Festival is sponsored associates, volunteers, trustees and business by Manchester City Council as part of the advisors (Martin Carr, Emma Collins, Nigel Council’s Unmissable Manchester events Cooke, Mark Fitzgibbon, Sally Hill, Jennifer programme which includes live music, Smith, Rachel Smith, Michael Taylor, Paul multicultural festivals and world class sport. Treadwell, Lorraine Whitehouse) for helping For the full programme go to us put this year’s Festival together. Special manchester.gov.uk/mcrevents thanks to Clare McCann. This brochure is printed on 100% recycled paper.
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